1.0 Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a container for a fluid product, more particularly correcting fluid, comprising an opening which is provided with a removable closure cap with an integrated brush-like applicator, and into which opening is inserted a mechanism for at least partially closing off the opening after the applicator is removed.
2.0 Discussion of Related Art
Containers for correcting fluid have been known for some time. To remove correcting fluid and apply it to paper, the closure cap is unscrewed so that the integral brush-like applicator is removed from the container, the tip of the brush automatically being guided along a sleeve-like stripper which enables the amount of fluid removed to be controlled to a certain extent. However, after repeated use, the fluid can no longer be satisfactorily stripped at such a stripper. Instead, the passage cross-section of the stripper gradually becomes blocked after prolonged use of the container so that removal of the brush-like applicator and stripping of the brush end and re-insertion thereof without damage are made increasingly difficult or even impossible.
In addition, such containers are a disadvantage where solvent-containing fluids are used. This is because, under the effect of temperature and the reduction in the volume of fluid through consumption, the ratio by volume of fluid space to vapor space above the fluid in the container changes during use. Accordingly, part of the solvent vapor escapes to an increasing extent each time the container is opened. The loss of solvent leads to the deleterious effects mentioned previoulsy.
DE 87 13 273 U1 describes a container in which the sleeve-like stripper is in the form of a separating tube which extends to the bottom of the container and which is formed at its lower end with relatively small fluid throughflow openings. Accordingly, the separating tube dips into the fluid accommodated in the container and, in doing so, is intended to separate the vapor space above the surface of the fluid from the removal opening of the container. This is supposed to prevent vapor mixtures of high solvent content from being directly driven out from the vapor space above the fluid and hence from the container by the pumping effect of the brush-like applicator dipping into the fluid. However, the separating tube does not act as a stripper so that it is virtually impossible to remove measured amounts of fluid from the container with the brush-like applicator. Stripping is only possible at the upper rim of the opening which becomes soiled and sticky. In addition, the fluid throughflow openings towards the lower edge of the separating tube can easily become blocked so that satisfactory flow of the fluid from the actual container space into the separating tube is no longer guaranteed.
Another prior container of interest is taught in WO 95/11839. This container has a sleeve-like stripper with strip-like stripping laps which bear resiliently against one another on their inner surfaces and which at least locally close the passage cross-section of the stripper. The stripping laps bear against the brush-like applicator on all sides and, when the brush-like applicator is withdrawn from the container, lead to stripping of the fluid on all sides so that only a measured amount of fluid is present on the tip of the brush. Although a container of this type is capable in principle of avoiding the problems mentioned above, it has been found that the strip-like stripping laps, which are normally made of plastic in such containers, gradually lose their resiliency because, when the container is not in use, i.e. when the brush-like applicator is fully inserted, the resilient stripping laps are permanently bent outwards against the spring force. The result of this is that the stripping effect of the stripping laps and their sealing effect increasingly diminish over a prolonged period and, after a certain time, their sealing effect can no longer be guaranteed when the container is opened. A similar solution with the same disadvantages is known from DE 92 05 308 U1.
3.0 Summary of the Invention
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to improve a container for correction fluid in question in such a way that, even over a prolonged period, satisfactory, measured removal of the fluid is guaranteed and losses of vaporous product present in the container are largely avoided when the container is opened to remove fluid.
Another object of the invention is to provide a container for correction fluid which is characterized in that the brush-like applicator is provided at its stem with an encircling indentation in which the free ends of strip-like stripping laps engage when the closure cap is in place.
The design of the present container ensures that satisfactory, measured removal of the fluid and protection against the unwanted escape of vaporous product from the container are guaranteed, even after prolonged use. In a preferred embodiment of the invention for the configuration of the brush-like applicator, the outward bending of the stripping laps are minimized against their spring force when the closure cap is in place and the brush-like applicator is fully inserted, with the result that the stripping laps are in a quasi of rest position and can relax for effectively sealing the passage opening, i.e. bear sufficiently resiliently against one another to provide a seal, when the closure cap is removed, even after prolonged use of the container. The result of this is that the stripping laps remain effective, i.e. perform both their stripping function and their sealing function, even after prolonged use of the container. This affords the major advantage of the invention, particularly for solvent-containing fluids, that, immediately after removal of the brush-like applicator, the stripping laps bear resiliently against one another at their ends and almost completely close the passage cross-section of the sleeve-like stripper. Small gaps are largely closed by the vapor pressure of the fluid in the container so that the escape of vaporous product, particularly solvent vapor, is reliably avoided.
In order to obtain substantially complete sealing of the passage cross-section of the stripper, the strip-like stripping laps preferably form a continuous cone in the closed position.
In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the sleeve-like stripper is cylindrical at its insertion end while the brush-like applicator is provided with an encircling sealing surface which co-operates sealingly with the cylindrical part of the stripper. This affords the major additional advantage that the container is tightly closed even when the closure cap has accidentally not been fully screwed onto the container. This is because, when the brush-like applicator is inserted into the container through the stripping laps, the encircling sealing surface of the applicator comes into sealing contact with the cylindrical insertion section of the sleeve-like stripper through corresponding arrangement even before the closure cap has been fully screwed on. This prevents any escape of fluid before the cap is screwed onto the container.